Accessory pad for use on football shoulder pads



. g- 1964 J. K. GROOT 3,144,657

' ACCESSORY PAD FOR USE ON FOOTBALL SHOULDER PADS Filed Sept. 21, 196212 22am Z51? JOHN K. GROOT United States Patent Goods Mfg. Co., Inc,River Grove, 111., a corporation of Delaware Filed Sept. 21, 1962, Ser.No. 225,237 6 Claims. (Cl. 2-2) This invention relates to accessory padsfor use on football shoulder pads, and more particularly to accessorypads adapted to use on exterior portions of football shoulder pads witha view to reducing the possibility of injury to a player opposing theone wearing the shoulder pads, as distinguished from the improvement ofprotection to the wearer of the shoulder pads.

The popularity of football as a sport and the number of injuries whichhave been suffered by players, particularly in younger age groups and onschool teams, has brought about concentrated efforts to analyze causesof injury and improvements of equipment that will minimize the hazardsinvolved. Furthermore, it is important that the costs of equipmentchanges and improvements for affording greater safety to players shallbe kept low, so that groups and schools depending on low equipmentbudgets can afiord them.

In football shoulder pads, epaulets extend over the shoulders of thewearer and present hard and rugged surfaces used in blocking andtackling. While such surfaces afford protection to the wearers of theshoulder pads, they are normally only covered by a relatively thinjersey, and could be injurious to an opposing player. The replacement ofexisting and otherwise usable shoulder pads with new ones having paddedouter epaulet surfaces would be unreasonably expensive for many groupsand schools. The epaulets are such an integrated and permanentlyattached part of shoulder pads that replacement of the epaulets on usedshoulder pads would be both impractical and expensive.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide relativelyinexpensive accessory pads which are readily, easily and securelyattachable to the epaulets of football shoulder pads to limit possibleinjuries to adverse players by serving as padded outer surfaces thereon.

As another object, this invention comprehends the provision of accessorycover pads for covering external portions of football shoulder pads, andwhich conform to the contours of the portions covered and which arefirmly securable thereto by fastening means not exposed detrimentally toeither the wearers of the shoulder pads or adverse players.

This invention has for another object the provision of accessory padsfor covering the exterior surfaces of the epaulets of football shoulderpads without materially increasing the size or weight of the epaulets,or interfering with the free movements of the epaulets during use.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view depicting the adaptation of apreferred embodiment of this invention to one part of a shoulder padstructure of the type used by football players;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a portion of the structure shown in FIG. 1and wherein the section is taken substantially as indicated by a line 22and accompanying arrows in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary side view of a portion of .a shoulder padstructure having my invention applied thereto and wherein a movable partof the shoulder pad structure is raised to show the normally lessexposed underside thereof; and

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of a modified form of the structure of thisinvention which is otherwise shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3.

In the exemplary embodiment of this invention which is shown in theaccompanying drawings for illustrative purposes, an accessory pad 10 isillustrated in an adaptation to the external or exposed surface of anepaulet, such as 12, of a football shoulder pad 13.

Football shoulder pads of the type herein disclosed usually embodyrightand left-hand body protective portions 14 and 15, respectively,which portions are of substantially the same, but reversed structure andinclude relatively hard shells 16 and 17 of a material such as a moldedfiber and have padded liners 18 and 19 secured to the interiors of theshells. In use, the body protective portions are flexibly connectedtogether at the front and back by means such as a lace 20. Also, foruse, the body protective portions are more securely anchored by meanssuch as body straps 22 and 23 which engage the wearers body below thearms and are releasably connected to the front parts of the bodyprotective portions by releasable fastening elements such as 24 and 25.

On opposite sides of the body protective portions 14 and 15, shouldercaps 26 and 27 are movably connected to the shells 16 and 17,respectively, by suitable hinge elements (not shown). The shoulder caps,like the body protective portions, have relatively hard shells 28 and 29made of a material such as molded fiber and have padded linings 30 and32 secured to the interior surfaces thereof.

Epaulets, such as 12, overlie adjacent regions of the shoulder caps andbody protective portions and bridge the spaces therebetween. As depictedin FIGS. 1 and 3, each epaulet is supported for swinging movementrelative to the adjacent body protective portion by a flexible hinge 33made of a material such as a relatively heavy web and secured to theepaulet and to the adjacent body protective shell by fastening meanssuch as rivets 34. In the disclosed shoulder pad structure, each epauletis also further secured against lateral skewing movements by webs 35 and36 which are secured to the epaulet and to the adjacent shoulder cap andembrace inner edge portions of the epaulet.

Since the epaulets are used for shoulder contact in blocking andtackling, they are of relatively hard and rugged structure, made of amaterial such as molded fiber, and usually have formed stiffening areas,such as 37, therein for rigidifying the structure.

While the epaulets of the shoulder pad structure, as well as the otherparts thereof, are primarily devised for the protection of the wearer ofthe shoulder pad, the number of injuries received by football playersindicates that precautions are necessary for preventing injuries toother players of the game, particularly when such precautions can'beaccomplished without reduction of the efficiency or purpose of theprotective structure. In ac accessory pad which constitutes thesubstance of this invention, means is provided for applying and securinga pad type of cover to the external and exposedsurface 3 of eachepaulet, which epaulet cover does not add materially to the weight orotherwise impede the action or efficiency of the protective structure.In fact, pads of the type herein disclosed may well absorb shock andaccomplish added protection for the wearer of the shoulder pads, as wellas for the opposing players.

In the accessory pad structure disclosed, a cover 38 is made as awear-resistant and relatively flexible element of the pad which iscontoured to conform to approximately the edge contours of the epauletand to cover the exposed external surface thereof. As hereinillustrated, this cover 38 embodies a layer or sheet 39 of a flexibleand relatively resilient material, such as a closed cell type, such, forexample, as foam rubber, of relatively uniform thickness. For improvingthe wear-resistant qualities of the external surface, a layer 40 of aplastic material, such as vinyl, is bonded to the outer surface of thelayer or sheet 39. Also, for improving the ruggedness and shaperetaining qualities of the accessory pad structure, a fabric layer 42 issecured to the inner surface of the layer or sheet 39. Inasmuch as thelayer or sheet 39 of flexible and somewhat resilient material serves asthe pad and shock-absorbing element of the structure, it is relativelythick in comparison to the plastic layer 40 and fabric 42. As anexample, the layer or sheet 39 which serves as the pad may be on theorder of A" thick, while the plastic wear-resistant layer on theexternal surface may be a vinyl coating which bonds itself to thepadding material.

Although various means may be provided for holding the pad in place onthe epaulet surface, such means must securely anchor the pad and berugged, in order to withstand the abuse of game play. In the illustratedstructure, a skirt 43 is utilized for effecting the anchorage of thecover. This skirt, in the present instance, is made of a relativelytough flexible material, such as reinforced plastic as, for example, aplastic coated or impregnated fabric. In the form illustrated, the skirthas a marginal portion 44 which is secured to the outer surface of thesheet or layer 39 by means such as a seam 45 which extends peripherallyof the sheet or layer 39 and along the full peripheral length of theskirt. The skirt then has a portion 46 which folds back over themarginal portion 44 from whence the skirt extends over the edge of thelayer or sheet 39 and to a position beyond that edge, thereby providingan extending portion 47 for underlying the marginal portion of theepaulet. To provide for ease of application and removal, as well as toprovide firm anchorage of the cover on the epaulet, the skirt extendsalong a major portion of the periphery of the epaulet, so that it coversthe outer edge thereof and extends around the opposite ends of theepaulet. As shown in FIG. 3, the skirt has ends 48 and 49 which, whenthe cover is applied to the eqaulet, are disposed on opposite sides ofthe flexible hinge 33.

In the embodiment which is depicted in FIG. 2, the extending portion 47of the skirt is folded back upon itself internally of the skirt andsecured by fastening means, such as seams 50, to provide a tunnel 52through which a drawstring 53 may be threaded peripherally of the skirt,so that end portions of the drawstring extend from those ends, whereuponwhen the cover is placed over the epaulet, the ends of the drawstringcan be pulled toward one another to draw the skirt inwardly of theepaulet and cause it to engage the underside of the epaulet, oppositethe layer or sheet 39. As shown in FIG. 3, it is desirable that thedrawstring shall be placed between the hinge 33 and the surface of theepaulet, in order to improve the anchorage of the cover, and also tosecure the drawstring at a position in which it will serve its purposewithout interfering with the movements of the epaulet.

In the modified cover structure illustrated in FIG. 4, referencenumerals similar to those previously used refer to similar parts whichperform like functions. In general, the structures of the pads shown inFIGS. 2 and 4 are similar, except that instead of the continuous tunnelprovided in the skirt in FIG. 2 for the accommodation of the drawstring53, the extending portion 47 of the skirt of FIG. 4 has a series ofeyelets 54 therein which extend peripherally of the cover, and which areutilized to retain the drawstring 53. As shown in FIG. 4, the drawstring53 extends over and under adjacent sections of the skirt and is woventhrough the eyelets to serve a purpose which is quite the same as thatdescribed with respect to the structure illustrated in FIG. 2.

From the foregoing description and reference to the drawings, it may beunderstood that the structure herein disclosed provides an effectiveauxiliary or accessory pad which can be produced at reasonably low costfor application to existing shoulder pads to afford the addiitonalprotection resulting from use and which is adapted to be readily andquickly installed, as well as to withstand the wear and rugged use inthe service for which it is intended.

Having thus described my invention, what is claimed is:

1. For use with a shoulder pad structure having body protective portionswith shoulder caps hingedly connected thereto and epaulets movably onthe body protective portions by flexible hinges at positions such thatsaid epaulets overlie portions of both the body protective portions andshoulder caps and bridge the space therebetween, accessory pads forcovering the normally exposed outer surfaces of the epaulets and eachcomprising a wear resistant and relatively flexible outer epauletsurface cover shaped and proportioned to adapt it to approximateconformation to the edge contours of the epaulet and including acomposite layer of flexible and relatively resilient material ofapproximately uniform thickness, a relatively narrow skirt of flexiblematerial secured to a major portion of the outer margin of the epauletcover and extended peripherally thereof to overlie a major portion ofthe peripheral edge of the epaulet, said skirt having a portion adaptednormally to extend beyond the edge of the epaulet and including meansthrough which a drawstring may be laced to extend peripherally of thecover in spaced relationship thereto, and a drawstring extending throughsaid means with ends exposed for drawing the skirt inwardly against thesurface of the epaulet opposite that engaged by said cover.

2. An accessory pad as defined in claim 1, and where in said cover hasinner and outer longitudinal edges and adjoining end edges, and saidskirt overlies the outer longitudinal edge and both end edges thereofand terminates on opposite sides of the mid-region of said innerlongitudinal edge.

3. An accessory pad as defined in claim 1, and wherein said skirt hasends spaced and adapted for placement on opposite sides of the flexiblehinge upon which the epaulet is mounted, and at least one end of saiddrawstring being adapted to be placed between the hinge and the epauletwhen the accessory pad is secured in place on the epaulet.

4. In combination with a shoulder pad including a pair of bodyprotective portions, shoulder caps hingedly connected to opposite sidesof the body protective portions, and epaulets comprising relatively hardand stiff shells of predetermined shape connected to the body protectiveportions by flexible hinges and overlying portions of both the bodyprotective portions and shoulder caps, accessory pads for covering thenormally exposed outer surfaces of said epaulets and comprising wearresistant and relatively flexible covers for the outer surfaces of saidpads shaped to conform approximately to the edge contours of theepaulets and including layers of flexible and relatively resilientmaterial substantially coextensive with the covers, fiexibe meanssecured to said accessory pads and extending from a major portion of theperipheries thereof for embracing the edges of said epaulets andmarginal regions of the surfaces of the epaulets opposite those whichthe covers overlay, drawstrings and means at the margins of saidflexible means receiving said drawstrings for securing said flexiblemeans and covers in place on the epaulets,

said drawstrings extending between the epaulets and said flexible hingesnear the margins of the epaulets.

5. In a combination as defined in claim 4, said flexible meanscomprising relatively narrow skirts having ends spaced apart toterminate adjacent opposite sides of said flexible hinges.

6. In a combination as defined in claim 4, and wherein said flexiblemeans comprise relatively narrow skirts of flexible material doubledback upon themselves inwardly of the peripheral margins of the coversand sewed to accessory pads through the inner of the doubled backportions of the flexible material.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSFOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Oct. 26, 1960 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE7 CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION g Patent No, 3,144,657 I I August 18 1964.

John K.. Groot It is hereby certified that error appears in the abovenumbered patent req'iiring correction and that the said Letters Patentshould read as corrected below. Y

Column 2, line 62, for "ac-" r'ead the column 4 line 14 for "addiitonal"read additional line 22 after movably' insert mounted Signed and sealedthis 1st day of December 1964,

(SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST W. SWIDER v EDWARD J BRENNER Attesting Officer I Commissioner ofPatents

4. IN COMBINATION WITH A SHOULDER PAD INCLUDING A PAIR OF BODYPROTECTIVE PORTIONS, SHOULDER CAPS HINGEDLY CONNECTED TO OPPOSITE SIDESOF THE BODY PROTECTIVE PORTIONS, AND EPAULETS COMPRISING RELATIVELY HARDAND STIFF SHELLS OF PREDETERMINED SHAPE CONNECTED TO THE BODY PROTECTIVEPORTIONS BY FLEXIBLE HINGES AND OVERLYING PORTIONS OF BOTH THE BODYPROTECTIVE PORTIONS AND SHOULDER CAPS, ACCESSORY PADS FOR COVERING THENORMALLY EXPOSED OUTER SURFACES OF SAID EPAULETS AND COMPRISING WEARRESISTANT AND RELATIVELY FLEXIBLE COVERS FOR THE OUTER SURFACES OF SAIDPADS SHAPED TO CONFORM APPROXIMATELY TO THE EDGE CONTOURS OF THEEPAULETS AND INCLUDING LAYERS OF FLEXIBLE AND RELATIVELY RESILIENTMATERIAL SUBSTANTIALLY COEXTENSIVE WITH THE COVERS, FLEXIBLE MEANSSECURED TO SAID ACCESSORY PADS AND EXTENDING FROM A MAJOR PORTION OF THEPERIPHERIES THEREOF FOR EMBRACING THE EDGES OF SAID EPAULETS ANDMARGINAL REGIONS OF THE SURFACES OF THE EPAULETS OPPOSITE THOSE WHICHTHE COVERS OVERLAY, DRAWSTRINGS AND MEANS AT THE MARGINS OF SAIDFLEXIBLE MEANS RECEIVING SAID DRAWSTRINGS FOR SECURING SAID FLEXIBLEMEANS AND COVERS IN PLACE ON THE EPAULETS, SAID DRAWSTRINGS EXTENDINGBETWEEN THE EPAULETS AND SAID FLEXIBLE HINGES NEAR THE MARGINS OF THEEPAULETS.